SparkFun
SparkFun Qwiic 12 Bit ADC - 4 Channel (ADS1015)
A lot of the time you just need to add more analog inputs to solve a problem. It happens. The SparkFun Qwiic 12 Bit ADC can provide four channels of I2C cont...
A lot of the time you just need to add more analog inputs to solve a problem. It happens. The SparkFun Qwiic 12 Bit ADC can provide four channels of I2C controlled ADC input to your Qwiic enabled project. These channels can be used as single-ended inputs, or in pairs for differential inputs. What makes this even more powerful is that it has a programmable gain amplifier that lets you "zoom in" on a very small change in analog voltage (but will still effect your input range and resolution). Utilizing our handy Qwiic system, no soldering is required to connect it to the rest of your system. However, we still have broken out 0.1"-spaced pins in case you prefer to use a breadboard.
The ADS1015 uses its own internal voltage reference for measurements, but a ground and 3.3V reference are also available on the pin outs for users. This ADC board includes screw pin terminals on the four channels of input, allowing for solderless connection to voltage sources in your setup. It also has an address jumper that lets you choose one of four unique addresses (0x48, 0x49, 0x4A, 0x4B). With this, you can connect up to four of these on the same I2C bus and have sixteen channels of ADC. The maximum resolution of the converter is 12-bits in differential mode and 11-bits for single-ended inputs. Step sizes range from 125μV per count to 3mV per count depending on the full-scale range (FSR) setting.
We have included an onboard 10K trimpot connected to channel A3. This is handy for initial setup testing and can be used as a simple variable input to your project. But don't worry, we added an isolation jumper so you can use channel A3 however you'd like.
The SparkFun Qwiic connect system is an ecosystem of I2C sensors, actuators, shields and cables that make prototyping faster and less prone to error. All Qwiic-enabled boards use a common 1mm pitch, 4-pin JST connector. This reduces the amount of required PCB space, and polarized connections mean you can’t hook it up wrong.
Jargon buster
Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.
- ADC
- An analogue-to-digital converter reads a changing voltage and turns it into a number the microcontroller can use. It matters when connecting analogue sensors such as light, sound, or variable-resistor sensors.
- FSR
- Full-scale range is the span between the lowest and highest output a converter can produce. Error specifications given as a percentage of FSR depend on the selected output range, such as 2.5 V or 5 V.
- I2C
- I2C is a two-wire communication bus used by many sensors and small modules. It matters because several I2C devices can share the same two wires, but each device needs a compatible address and your controller must support I2C.
- PCB
- A printed circuit board is a rigid board with copper tracks that connect electronic parts without loose wires. For this kit, the PCBs also form the airplane shape, so they are both the circuit base and part of the finished model.
- Programmable gain amplifier
- A built-in amplifier whose gain can be changed in software to make small input signals easier to measure. This matters because choosing the right gain can improve detail for small sensors, but too much gain can make the input range too small.
- Qwiic
- Qwiic is a plug-in connector system for I2C devices that uses small 4-pin cables, so you can connect compatible sensors without soldering. It matters because your controller or adapter also needs Qwiic, or you will need a cable or breakout to wire it up.
- voltage reference
- A stable voltage the ADC compares inputs against when converting them to numbers. A more stable reference helps produce more consistent measurements, especially in precision sensing and instrumentation.
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SparkFun Qwiic 12 Bit ADC 4 Channel ADS1015 Schematic
Schematic · 129.8 KB · Click any page to view full size
ADS1015 Datasheet
Datasheet · 1.5 MB · Click any page to view full size
Supplier page — sparkfun.com
Supplier Description · 741.9 KB · Click any page to view full size
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